Songhai Empire Trade Network

Timeline

1. c. 1300–1400Timbuktu · MaliThe Mali Empire controlled the trade routes from the Niger River bend to the Sahara; Timbuktu, Gao and other places became salt-gold trade relay stations, with Arab and Berber merchants and local traders jointly organizing camel caravans.
2. 1441–1450Gao · GaoAs Mali's central authority weakened, Gao's merchant class rose; trans-Saharan gold and salt trade continued to prosper, with merchant networks linking the Maghreb of North Africa with markets in the southern forest zone, creating conditions for a regional reorganization of power.
3. c. 1464–1528Gao · GaoSunni Ali and the Askia dynasty brought the cities of the Niger River bend under a unified polity; the empire integrated the trans-Saharan routes through tariffs, relay stations, and military protection, and the trade network reached its zenith.
4. 1591–1650Sahel of West Africa · SahelAfter Moroccan forces occupied Gao, the Songhai Empire disintegrated; the traditional trans-Saharan routes were hit by warfare and competition from maritime trade, and the regional commercial network was gradually reorganized.